Wisconsin girl stabbed in 'Slenderman' case leaves hospital

Morgan E. Geyser and Anissa E. Weier, both 12, are accused of luring a 12-year-old classmate into the woods in a Milwaukee suburb and stabbing her 19 times in an attack inspired by a horror website.

Tribune staff and wire report

A Wisconsin girl stabbed 19 times in a murder plot allegedly hatched by two 12-year-old classmates to win favor with a fictional Internet character known as Slenderman, was released from the hospital on Friday, her family said in a statement.

The 12-year-old girl, whose name has not been released to protect her privacy, had been recovering at a hospital in Waukesha, Wisconsin, after the attack last Saturday morning.

"She is excited to be out of the hospital, see her pets, and continue along the road to recovery. Our family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support and love from not only the local community, but from around the nation, and the world," the statement said.

A criminal complaint alleged that two girls, charged as adults with attempted murder in the stabbing, said they hoped killing their classmate would please the shadowy, blank-faced Slenderman.

Following a sleepover the previous night, the girls led the victim into a wooded area nearby, then stabbed her, the complaint said. The two had been crafting the plan for months, according to court documents.

Doctors treating the victim said she had wounds to her liver, pancreas and stomach. The knife missed a major artery by the heart by only a millimeter, the criminal complaint said.

The victim's family said it had kept discussion about the attack to a minimum, but the girl when asked how she was able to crawl out of the woods, answered: "I wanted to live."

The family has raised over $33,000 on a fundraising website to help cover the costs of medical treatment.